Method of effecting reactions between solids and gases.



PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908.

N0. 877mm 5, A. SPBRRY. METHOD OF EFFBGTING REACTIONS BETWEEN SOLIDS AND GASES.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1906.

2 SHEETS-45113151. 1.

Jill/671607".

No. 877,246. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908. E. A. SPERRY.

METHOD OF EPPEUTING REACTIONS BETWEEN SOLIDS AND GASES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

To all whom it may concern:

nnrr

ELMEB A. SPERRY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW Y NEW YORK, N. Y.,

COMPANY, or

mason or no. erases.

ORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHEMICAL REDUCTION.

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

EFFECIING REACTIONS BETWEEN SOLIDS AND GASES.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application filed March 5. 1906. Serial No. 304.417.

Be it known that-l, ELMnnA, SPERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the countyof Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Eflectin Reactions Between Solids and Gases, 0 which the following is a specification.

This invention is a method of effecting reactions between solids and gases and consists essentially in circulating a body of liquid capable of dissolving the gas in contact with the solid and with the gas under conditions which accomplish a rapid absorption otthe gas and a rapid reaction of the same with the solid. The as absorbing surface is relatively exten ed and preferably the surface exposed to the gas is increased by providing and constantly renewing films of the liquid in contact therewith.

A preferred form of apparatus for carrying out my method is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein- Fi'ure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a orm of reaction vessel for carrying my method into effect; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same on a somewhat smaller scale on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the septum and reciprocating devices being removed; Fig. 3 is a side elevation on the same scale as Fig. 2, parts being broken away, and the septum and disk-reci rocating devices removed; and Fig. 4 is a retail section of one of the gas connections.

1 represents a relatively shallow vessel which may be constructed of cast iron lead, or which may be constructed of or lined with any material adapted to resist the particular reagents to be used. The body ol'" the vessel is 1provided with a jacket 2 having tangential in ets 3, 3 for steam or water, and an outlet 4, this arrangement being found to insure a substantially even heating or cooling eli'ect. The cover 5 is removable, and is provided with interior passages 6 for water. The cover su ports a removable hopper 7 jack-- eted as s own at 8 for heating the contents thereof the hopper is provided with a cover 9 and de vends into the vessel as shown. at 10 to a suicicnt depth to be scaled by the liquid therein. Charging means 11 located above the hopper are preferably provided with means, indicated at 12, for heating the incoi'ning material.

the vessel, and illustrated as a ring-shaped disk, spaced 'irom the walls of the vessel at its periphery tral aperture 14. A hollow shaft 15 extends through a stuliing-box 16 in the cover and carries at its lower end arms 17 supporting an annular disk 18 to which are secured lifting and stirring blades 19. These blades are preferably two in number and. are oppo sitely disposed, the effect of this arrangement, together with the conformation of the blades, being to produce a wave action at the surface of the. liquid, the purpose oi which is to expose an extended surface of the same as hereinafter more fully explained. The blades extend ap of the vessel an are forwardly inclined in. the direction of movement in-such manneras to exert a lifting. action on its li uidorsolid contents; the outer ends oithe blades may be curved backward as shown, being such as to insure an e ual distribution 13 is a septum, suitably supported within horizontal roximately to the bottom .the design and having a cenof the materials with whic 1 they come in disk 13 and inward above the same. The disk 13 may be carried by-the shaft 15 and rotate therewith if desired.

Between the blades 19 1 preferably mount agitating devices, the purpose of which is to maintain linelydivided solid matter in suspension in the circulating liquid, and to agitate it violently in contact therewith. As one form of agitating device I have shown inclined blades 20 mounted near the bottom of the vessel and adapted to the curvature oi the same, carried by a shalt 21 supported in a bearing in a lug '22 on the diskiS. A gear 23 secured to' the blades 20 meshes with a stationary gear 2% arried by a fixed shaft 2-5 disposed within he rota" shalt 15. As the agitating d rives. oi 1 shown, revolve with the t they rotate in their bearings ection indicated by the arrows and t ghly agitate 1 lids there- I" no ellect of this arrangement is to of relatively high the liquid and connninglc the -h two are tion, the means shown comprising a plurality of rods '27, of which one'only is shown, secured to the disk 26 and'extendin through stuffing boxes 28 in the cover;

- 29 actuated'by a cam 3 Oon theshaft a spring 31 serves tojret'urn the disk toits upper position. The disk 26 serves to maintainth'e solids in suspension in the portion ofthe liquid above the septum 13,' and further serves to support a plurality of strips or pieces of wire-gauze or e uivalent fabric or pervious structu're.-32, t e function of available for thispurpose.

.In. order to improve the intimacy of con' tact between gas and liquid I prefer to direct .the former in a restricted path above the or de ending partitions 33 extending trans- Q verse y across the vesseland adapted .to be sealed by the liquid therein. The arrangement of the baflies is such as to direct the gas in a tortuous path between the inlet and.

I outlet 46, 47. n addition to their function in directing the gas the partitions 33 coop crate with the circulating blades 19, in that they. are in position to be wetted by the wavesii -produced by these-blades, thus exposing a constantly'renewed liquid surface to. the gas. r

34 represents a discharge valve closing the upper end of the discharge conduit 35; the latter is illustrated as of special construction, comprising an angular cross 36 of which the lower aperturecarries a stufling box 37 for the valve stem 38, while one of the lateral 50 conveniencem cleaning. The stem 38 may be reciprocated through the stuffing box for operatmg the valve, and carries at its lower end a handle 40 by means "of which the yalve removable? osure'43 therefor, and a branch pipe- 44..'fer :the gas. The-purpose of; the

'65 upward ia ignaudn bf'theends 1s to permit vessel. ownward 5 movement is imparted to the diskby a lever latter, and for this purpose I provide. bafiies apertures carries a removable plug 39 for may be rotated for the purpose of grinding it to its seat or for clearing it from matter inspection or cleaning of the pipe 41 without danger of loss of the li uid contents of the At 45 I have s own a heat-insulating covering which is applied to the gas outlet I pipe and which serves to prevent condensation or separation therein of any. volatile reaction products by properlycovering said ipe I find that I am enabled to substantial y prevent clogging of the same,

as, for instance, by the separation of hydrated stannic chlorid in the production of stannic chlorid as hereinafter referred to. The liquid outlet in a vessel provided with circulating and agitating meansmay be substantially siihilarin construction, except that a so 'downwardlyturned branch pipe is provided;

- such outlet may be located somewhat above the normal liquid level, the wave action above referred to being sufficient for the I 4 discharge of any accumulation of liquid. In most cases it is desirable that the gas-absorbing surfaces of theliquid should be maintained at a lower temperature than the reaction zone where the absorbed gas is brought into contact with the solid matter, it being well understoodthat absorption or solution "of the gas is more rapid at lo'wer temperatures. In the present construction this is provided for by means of the water-cooled cover through which heat is abstracted not only from the gas chamber itself but from the partitions '33 which serve as above pointed out as supplementalsurfaces for the exposure of films of liquid. By means of the jacket 2 such temperature is maintained in the region of. reaction as is most favorableun der the particular conditions. As one example of iny method I may pro-' duce ametal-bearing solution by reaction between a finely divided metal, matte, c'oncentrate or ore and a .gas capable of yielding therewith a soluble salt, as for instance by the solution of a cop er-nickel'ma'tte or alloy by reaction with c orin. In such case the .matte or alloy is reduced; to a state of fine subdivision and is introduced in a. heated condition through the charging tube 11 into the hopper fiffalling thence into the liquid and being maintained in suspension therein and circulatin therewith'by the combined action of the b ades 19 and 20. The liquid in this case will preferably be water or an aqueous solution .of hydrochloric acid. The chlorin is admitted at 46 and traverses the vessel in a tortuous and restricted path above the liquid, any unabsorbed chlorin or residual gases escaping at an op ositely disposed outet 47 (Fig. 4). The c orin is dissolved by the liquid and by it brought into reacting relation with the solids suspended therein, the reaction yielding the chlorids of the respec 'tive metals. To further promote the solution of chlorin I expose extended liquid surfaces-thereto by means of the partitions 33,

which as above described are constantlyfwetfi .130

is acid] A further example is the production I 'tedby the wave action produced by :the

rin is sti I thegas and liquid by abstraction of heat" blades; 19;.the exposed surfaces are if re- ,quired further extended by the fabric or other previous sheets 32 which are reciprocated to constantly lift new films ottheli uid into the as chamber. Solution of the c ollfurther promoted by the cooling of througlh'the cover from the gas itself and from edepending partitions 33.

As ari'other example of my method I may refer to the production of soluble sulfites, as

-, for instance zinc sulfite, by reaction between a zinc-bearing material and sulfur dioxid in r I tween solids aiijd gases which consists in agitatin, and exposing portions of said liquid to the presence of water. or a solution of sulfurous of stannic chlorid, by reaction between chlo- 1'111' and a tin-bearing material in resence of'liquid Sunn s chlorid, .as' descri ed and 20 claimed in my co ending a plication Serial Number 304,328, led-Marc 5,1906.

I dlaim:- o. J 1. The meii hod of effecting reactions being a body'of liquid ca able of dissolving the gas, maintaining the so id in suspension theregas, said portions exposed to the gas being at a lower temperature whereby solution of the gas is romoted.

2. he method of effecting reactions be- "gas bein' at a lower temperature whereby soution o the as is promoted,

3. The met 0d of efiectmg reactions between solids and ases which consists in circulating a body 0 liquid capable of dissolving the gas, maintaining1 the solid in suspension in one portion of t e circulating liquid, and exposing another portion thereof ,to the action of the gas, said p0rtion.containing the solid in suspensionbeing r'naintainedat a suitable temperature whereby the reaction between the gas and the solid is accelerated.

4. Themethod of effecting reactions between solids and-gases which consists in agiinto said liquid, and exposing portions of said li uid to the gas.

n testimony whereof, I aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ELMER A. SPERRY.

Witnesses:

C. W. FOWLER, I CUP. TOWNSEND.

. tating a liquid capable of dissolving the gas, f introducing the solid in a heated condition 

